Lies, NRA lies and Fox lies

BARRETTRAINEY

Second Thoughts

I’m going to tell you a lie. You’ve heard it before. You’ve heard it many times before. You’ve heard it on Faux “News. The NRA has told you this lie many times and crazy Wayne LaP. even lied to you in his book. The nuttier gun loons have repeated it – sober or drunk – in many a saloon.

Here it is as closely as I can recall: When Hitler took guns away from the German people, they were powerless to defend themselves. Ol’ Wayne LaP. tells that one a lot. And here’s another. If the Jews had guns, they could’ve defended themselves and millions wouldn’t have been killed. That’s pretty much it. Oh, and many gun liars often publish a poster with a picture of Hitler giving the Nazi salute and the text “All in favor of gun control, raise your right hand.”

Problem is they’re all lies – top to bottom! University of Chicago law professor Bernard Harcourt, for one, put the lie to all that in the Harvard Law Review in 2004. Before Hitler, Harcourt wrote, there was the Weimar Republic – the German government that immediately preceded him. Under surrender terms of the Treaty of Versailles, the German legislature created a 1919 law banning all firearms. That law led to confiscation. In 1928, the law was relaxed a little but citizens still had to get government permits to own, sell or carry.

The Nazi Weapon Law of 1938 did just the opposite of what LaPierre repeatedly has claimed it did. Under Hitler, that law totally deregulated bans on buying rifles, shotguns and ammunition. Opened the market, as it were. It also extended permits from one to three years and lowered the age of gun ownership from 21 to 18. Crazy Wayne lied big time. Because it suited his twisted purpose. And he keeps doing it.

But because that law did keep Jews from buying guns legally, you’ll hear another untruth – “Jews with guns would have lived and maybe won the Warsaw Ghetto battle in which many died.”

Historian Omer Bartov at Brown University says “not true.” In his words, “Just imagine the Jews of Germany exercising the right to bear arms while fighting the SA, SS and the Wehrmacht. The entire Russian Red Army lost seven-million men fighting just the Wehrmacht despite tanks, artillery and planes. Jews with pistols and shotguns would have done better?” Professor Bartov was an officer in the Israeli Defense Force before becoming an academic. He knows his guns and his Jewish history.

Then there’s Faux “News” and Judge Napolitano who repeatedly has claimed Jews would’ve been much better off if they had guns in Warsaw.

Oh, yes? Consider – in reality, only about 20 Germans were killed in the Warsaw Ghetto battles while 13,000 Jews died. Another 50,000 Jews who survived were sent off to the camps. Rifles, shotguns and a few pistols would have changed all that? Like LaPierre, Napolitano sees fit to make up history as it suits him.

Another lie from the gun huggers. They claim Hitler said “This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration! Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient and the world will follow our lead into the future.” They use it on their blogs and even posters. They claim he said that in 1935.

Problem is, it’s a lie. There’s no correlation between 1935 and German efforts at gun control and – with the Weimar law of 1919 – you would not need more “gun control” laws. Which, when he took over, Hitler actually did away with in 1938.

The liars also “quote” Stalin saying he “implemented gun control.” Again, honest history says “not true.” Stalin wanted every Russian citizen armed. Every one. He was a big believer in all citizens having guns, Comrade. When he needed ‘em, he released Gulag prisoners and gave ‘em all guns. Gave ‘em. Every one.
Napolitano, LaPierre, Alex Jones, Joe the plumber,” Limbaugh, Beck, Larson and all the other high-pitched, screaming voices are twisting facts, lying, are ignorant of history and making up scandalous accusations to fit their own money-making purposes.

The right-wing media – from Fox to Huckabee and all the rest – is a money machine. Their proclamations are an inch deep and a mile wide. Sometimes, not even that deep. They’re stoking fear, anger, hate and senseless paranoia in the name of the almighty dollar. As my grandmother used to say, “The truth is not in them.”

Nothing President Obama is considering is “gun control.” Nothing in the package of “recommendations” to him poses any threat to honest people who own – or want to own – guns. Nothing. In fact, much of what’s been presented is already covered by laws that have not been enforced. Again – “not been enforced.”

Congress should accept whatever proposed legislation MAY be forthcoming from the White House or other sources, conduct impartial hearings, amend what needs amending and take proper action. But that will not happen. No accepting. No hearings. No action. It won’t because the aforementioned liars – and others of their ilk – will intimidate, threaten, coerce and blackmail to maintain the murderous status quo. Those who could take responsible, significant steps to reduce the mass slaughter haunting this nation will do nothing. They’ll be bought off. Their “job security” will be threatened.

They’ll be lied to.

You want truth about history and guns? Go to people who know both – like academics and historians. You want more lies? Well, you can always count on the NRA and Fox News.